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St Albans band, Lowgold's last single 'Beauty Dies
Young' and its predecessor, 'The 108 EP' were both A-Listed
by X-fm, as well as receiving massive support from the
Evening Session and throughout the written media.
Coupled with support dates with luminaries such as
Doves, Grandaddy and Coldplay and several successful
headline tours in their own right seem to have thrown
the band into a much needed commercial field. 'Just
Backward Of Square', released on CD and very limited
vinyl, and featuring the rare 'In Amber' from the '108
EP' looks set to build on this change in profile. The
album also includes 'Beauty Dies Young' and live favourites
such as 'Never Alone', 'Back Here Again' and 'Counterfeit'.
So who the F*** are Lowgold, then? There's Dan Symons
on guitar, all the way from Poole in Dorset, England,
accompanied down the right flank by hilariously named
member (No. Really) Miles Willey from London with Simon
Scott doint the typically goally gig down there at the
back on drums. And finally there's Darren, the boy from
nowhere (St Albans in Hertfordshire, right?)
Lowgold are surprisingly well out of anecdotes concerning
the start-up of the band. They were signed by Nude Records
upon sending a demo and everything seemed to grow from
there. Not that they profess to have been a band to
start with, as is hilariously paid point by Darren: "Nude got the demo and asked us, 'when's the band
next playing?' We said, 'slight problem there, we haven't
got a band'. So they said, 'here's an idea: why don't
you go and actually form a band'. So that's what we
did." Whether or not Nude had really said 'when is the next
band playing?' as has been rumoured, and whether or
not they could legitimately say they have a band togther
now, they're certainly all chums together. Balladeers
or no balladeers: "We're into people who write from the heart, not the
head. "
Right decision or not aside, Lowgold's tastes range
from Neil Young, Alex Chilton and Buffalo Tom. They're
also alleged fans of Norman Blake and Gerry Love's songs
with Teenage Fanclub. Another uncomfortable influence
is Elliot Smith. Sad and affected, big girls blouses
- wretch rock - call it what you will, Lowgold can't
get enough of it.
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